matlook



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

D. 1B. MATLOCK;

TRUSS BRIDGE.

Patented Fel-20.1.8852- Ill DAVID B. MATLOGK, OF MILLVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

TRUSS-BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,568, dated February20, 1883.

v Application tiled September 1, 1882. (No model.)

10 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID B. MATLOGK, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Millville, in thecounty ot' Shasta and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Truss-Bridges; and l do hereby declare theibllowing to'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and4 use the same.

This invention has relation to certain irnprovements in truss-bridges,and is especially designed to provide asecnre and sitnplenieans forcoupling the lower chord together, and to provide an angle-block soconstructed and arranged in connection with the truss-rods that the topchord or cross-floor beam may be removed for repairs and replacementwithout endangering the superstructure.

My invention therefore consists in the novel construction andcombination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a.. part of' this specication,Figure 1 is a side.

view of a section of a bridge, showing my improvement attached,w ith asection oftop chord and some of the cross-floor beams removed. Fig. 2 isa view showing the manner of coupling the lower chord together. Fig. 3is a view of the angle-block. Fig. 4 is a view of the truss-rod. Fig. 5is a perspective view of the door-beam with angle-block and truss in thedoor-beam through which the lower chord passes under the angle-block,and Fig. 6 is detail view ofthe coupling-plates andlower chord.

The letter A is a section of a trusslbridge, a panel ot' which is incompleted condition, and the intermediate panel shown as having the topbeam and chord and floor-beams removed,

.the structure still being maintained by the rods and lower chord.

The letter B represents one ot' the truss-rods, with screw threaded endsa extending far enough on the rod that the inside screw-nuts will bindthe angle-plates when in position, and projecting far enough above theupper angleplate to pass through the upper beam or girder and chords,and extending far enough below the lower angle-plate to pass through thefloorbeam and receive screw -nuts to hold the beams in place.

The letter G is the angle-plate, which is formed with the usual doubleinclines, and provided with side ears, having holes through which thetruss-rods pass and againstthe under side of which the inner nuts of thescrewthreaded ends ot' the truss-rods rest. l

The letter D is the lower chord, which is formed in sections` withkey-holes in both ends of the section. These sections are made ofpredetermined length, according to the distance between lower door-beamsot'the bridge.

The letter E is coupling-plates having inV both ends key-holescorresponding to thosein the ends of the sections of the lower chord.

The letter F represents the keys employed to couple the chords andplates together.

rlhe letter G is the tloor-beams placed transversely to thelineot' thelower chord, and each one has -cut or otherwise formed therein thegroove b to admit the passage of the lower chord and coupling-plates.They are also provided with holes arranged and disposed to receive thetruss-rods, and in the upper surface about the truss-holes they are cutout large enough and deep enough to admit freelythe inner nuts on thelower ends ofthe truss-rods.

It will be observed that the coupling devices of the lower chord areformed and arranged so that the coupling-plates,with their key-holes,and the ends ot' the lower chord,with the holes registering with thosein the plates, comesn ugly in line with the sides of the floor-beams, inorder that when the keys are driven home they will draw the platestogether and lind a bea-ring against the edges ot' the angle-plate andsides of the door-beams, the projecting portion ot' the keys above thechord serving to retain the angle-plate in position.

It will also be seen that on the entire chord there is no screw, itbeing fastened together with pins or keys; also, that the door-beams canbe taken ott'for repairs, the structure being sustained by the boltspassing through the angle-block. In like manner the top chord or beamcan be taken oft'. In short, the door and door-beams can all be takenont for repairs without building false works to sust-ain the bridge orallowing any of the camber to get out of the same. The extreme ends ofthe chord are fastened by keys or pins passing through the chord restingagainst the loorbeam and angle-block.

IOO

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination, with the trussrods o a biidge, of a Hoor-beam formedor provided with a transverse groove adapted to receive and retain thelower chord, and the lower chord formed of sections, substantially asand for the purpose set i'orih.

2. The combination, with the truss-rods of a bridge, of an angle-plateformed with side ears, a floorbeam having a transverse groove to receivethe lower chord, and the lower chord. the whole arranged and unitedasl'ierein set forth.

Ihe combination, with the truss-rods of a bridge, of the angle-plateformed with side ears, the floor-beams with transverse groove' andmortised for screw-heads, and the lower chord composed ofsectionsconnected by plates and coupling-pins, substantially as described. 4. Incombination with the top girder or beam and the truss-rods, theangleblock, the Hoor-beam with transverse groove and mortises forscrewnuts, and the lower cho'rd composed ot' sections connected byplates and couplingpins, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses.

DAVID B. MATLOGK. Witnesses:

GEO. GHAMPLiN, P. U. SCOTT.

